Ethiopia: Adey Abeba Stadium construction to take 18 months

The government of Ethiopia officially disclosed that the ongoing construction of the Adey Abeba Stadium will be concluded in the next eighteen months. Construction for the 60,000-seater stadium began nine years ago but lack of finances, the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreement between the government and the Chinese State Construction Engineering Corporation delayed the project.

The stadium was meant to host 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) games but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Ethiopia of its hosting rights due to the lack of preparation and proper organization. The second phase of the stadium construction has been ongoing for the last seven months according to Ethiopia's Ministry of Culture and Sports after funds were secured from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The government budgeted 138,000,000 USD (18.6 billion birr) to complete the stadium in 2026. 57 million USD was secured from UAE. The stadium is expected to be one of the key venues if Ethiopia win the hosting rights for the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations. Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed in November 2024 stated that the country is seeking to host the AFCON in 2029.

The capacity of the stadium has been reduced to 60,000. Initially the stadium could have held 62,000 spectators.